HAMPTON, Va. — Mango Mangeaux’s crowds may be gone, but the restaurant’s owners say the Mango Mangeaux brand will live on, including at another restaurant they run called Charlotte.
“We decided that we would do pop-ups at Charlotte," said owner Lakesha Brown-Renfro. "I think the legacy is spreading love. This is more than food. People come here to fellowship."
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Longtime customer Mary Burroughs-Gray is going to miss the restaurant’s energy.
“The energy is always positive when we come here. Of course, the food is very delicious as well," Burroughs-Gray said.
As News 3 has reported, the restaurant owners say they're closing because the 10-year business plan they created has been completed.
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Mango Mangeaux highlights a fluctuating restaurant scene in Phoebus, a part of Hampton that has become a food destination according to a restaurant owner News 3 interviewed in May about growth in Phoebus.
“It’s been quite a struggle in 2025," Brown-Renfro said about running Mango Mangeaux. "We thought this was the time to transition to do something new."
Two other popular local restaurants in Hampton, including El Diablo in Phoebus, have also closed in the past few months. Meanwhile, close to a dozen businesses have opened in Phoebus this year.
Phoebus neighborhood commissioner Joe Griffith doesn’t believe the closures are a sign of an economic downturn.
“We’re going to continue working with developers to renovate these buildings and offer small businesses the resources that they need to move their businesses and their passions into these spaces," Griffith explained. "we're looking for retail, we're looking for restaurants that want to move in. We're an exciting district where that kind of stuff is encouraged, so we're excited about the future."
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News 3 interviewed a Hampton Chief Officer for Community and Economic Development, Leonard Sledge, as he was getting a meal at Mango Mangeaux. He remains positive despite the turnover.
“We do believe that the Phoebus community and the city of Hampton is inviting for another wonderful entrepreneur to come in and to take over this space and do something that’s unique and different and that will also be embraced by the city of Hampton," said Sledge.
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Brown-Renfro has this advice for anyone thinking of opening a restaurant.
“We always tell people to focus on the love. The love of the community, the love and the passion for what you’re doing, and why you’re doing it," said Brown-Renfro.
While the restaurant closed for dine-in service November 11, Brown-Renfro said it would be available for private events until the end of 2025.
